10 Thoughts for February 24, 2017

1. Recovering From the Flu: While the flu hit me for only about two or three days, what followed has been much worse. For the last 9 days, I've been stuck in Bronchitis Hell. I can walk and do stuff, but the phlegm and coughing have been horrible. Extra sleep helps, but it's a long road back from Bronchitis Hell. At this point, I'm pretty close to full recovery, I think. Still lots of phlegm, but the coughing has gone down significantly, especially the rough fits.
2. Glycerin and Dogs: About a year ago my friend complained about glycerin in pet treats, as if they were dangerous. I was somewhat flabbergasted because glycerin has been used in foods for quite a long time and is "generally recognized as safe" -- standard nomenclature by the FDA. Having read some online sources on their complaints about glycerin, it's clear that the biggest problem comes from a lack of understanding and logic. Some outlets insist that glycerin is made from biodiesel -- it is not -- when in fact, glycerin is a byproduct of the extraction of biodiesel from oil, whether petroleum or vegetable. Furthermore, glycerin does exist in nature on its own -- a product of fermentation -- contrary to what many believe. Finally, glycerin is so widely used in human foods and is exceptionally safe, it is allowed in products bearing the USDA organic label (assuming the original ingredients were organic in nature and processed via fermentation -- a 2015 change). If you fear glycerin out of the contamination factor from synthesis or chemical extraction, simply choose USDA organic products.
3. Trump's Law: You know about the cynical Godwin's Law, that all (internet) conversations eventually end up discussing Hitler, right? I think we've just stumbled upon what may be referred to as, "Trump's Law". In Trump's Law, every public event, Trump's conversation comes back to how he won bigly. African-American Museum: "I like all those states where I won by double, double, double digits." Alexander Acosta announcement: "I won. I won." Press event with Israeli PM: "I think one of the reasons I won the election is we have a very, very divided nation." S.C. Boeing: "Remember we came down -- all together, we came down, and this was going to be a place that was tough to win, and we won in a landslide." At CPAC: "They lost the election. It's like how many elections do we have to have? They lost the election."
4. Sanctuary Cities: No one has yet sued The Emperor for his EO targeting Sanctuary Cities with the implied threat of pulling their federal dollars. The simplified explanation is that he hasn't yet yanked anyone's money, and without that action, no city has standing in court to sue The Emperor under (a) Due Process, (b)Equal Protection, and (c) State's Rights. Furthermore, someone may have explained to him that it was counterproductive to cut funds, only to end up in court, losing yet again.
5. Executive Orders: It's funny how Conservatives are sure of themselves that President Obama violated the separation of powers by excessive use of the Executive Order. You have to go back over a century to Grover Cleveland's second stint in the White House to find another president whose use of EOs over his time in office was lower. Yet, have you noticed that the WH has suddenly become silent on new EOs that they said would be issued this week? Hmm.
6. Ironic Button: Twitter has a button that says, "Show less often". I sometimes wonder if it is meant to be an Ironic Button. The more I click on it, the more stuff they show.
7. Coal Jobs: Appalachia has a big problem because no matter what, secure, generational employment in coal mining is going to disappear and it has nothing to do with regulation: (1) The west has more proven, recoverable coal than all of Appalachia, but requires significantly less labor as it is strip-mined, pointing to the reality that (2) Appalachia coal mines have a cost problem that is irresolvable, particularly when (3) natural gas fracking is significantly cheaper than Appalachian coal mining. By pinning regulation as the culprit, politicians from both sides of the aisle are doing a disservice to their constituents. And even when you accept the notion that regulation has some tail-end effects on the price of coal, then you have to also accept that deregulation of fracking will also have tail-end effects on the price of natural gas, keeping it highly competitive as an energy source, regardless of climate change issues.
8. Tiko is Dead: Well, for all intents and purposes, it is dead. They claim that they're going to keep moving forward with the remaining money, looking to attract investors, but if they couldn't already find investors by now, it means that they investors don't believe in the Tiko team's ability to come through. It doesn't seem to be a coincidence, therefore, that the Monoprice MP Select Mini 3D Printer suddenly sold out on Amazon and at Monoprice's website. Cheapest printer (that you can trust) at $199 -- technically cheaper than the Tiko, too.
9. Pokemon Go: Well, it took me less time than I thought to jump from level 21 to 22. Coinciding with the release of new monsters, I realized that by using the egg to double my score, I could essentially speed up my total points in a very short period of time. Instead of taking 8 days to clear level 21, it took me just 5. Right now, however, I'm being slowed down considerably by my bronchitis and the extra rain this month, preventing me from talking long walks and chasing after new monsters. Also, the point total to clear level 22 is 100,000, so, it's going to be a while.
10. Spotify Playlist: I built a new playlist, called Summertime Chill. It's been so cold and dreary this month, it felt like I needed a reminder of what's around the corner. Yes, that's my old photo from Hawaii, in 2008, up by Waimanalo side.